The man who has led York’s Covid vaccination efforts has raised significant concerns about Matt Hancock taking part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
As the former Health Secretary in place at the height of the pandemic, Mr Hancock has faced fierce criticism over his decision to join the game show in Australia.
And now Dr Mike Holmes, head of the York’s vaccination programme run by Nimbuscare, has added to the chorus of critical voices.
Dr Holmes was asked about the controversy on the YorkMix Radio Breakfast Show yesterday (Wednesday).
He said: “What I’d like to say is, there’s an awful lot of people involved in health and social care that dedicated everything they had to supporting the country during the pandemic.
“And actually, they’re all still there doing the same thing.
“I try not to get particularly political, but he’s a public servant, whilst there’s a Covid inquiry going on.
“He’s got a lot of questions to answer. He’s got a lot of information he needs to share.
“And I’m not sure how he’s going to do that when he’s doing bushtucker trials in the jungle.”
Dr Holmes said he didn’t want to “waste effort talking about him, but just bring it back to all the thousands of people who are still supporting the health service, still fighting Covid.
“Our Covid rates are high. We’re still delivering the vaccine. We’re still trying to reduce mortality and morbidity, illness from Covid, as well as other things like flu and regular, ongoing diseases.
“And I think that’s where we should focus our attention.”
Dr Holmes said the current take-up rate for flu jabs and Covid booster vaccinations – now open to everyone aged 50 and over – was good in York.
But “it could be better”: “There’s been some challenges with getting appointments onto the national booking system, there’s been challenges with supply, there’s been challenges in how vaccine services have been organised.
“And we’re taking that up with the NHS on almost a daily basis.”
But the York vaccination site at Askham Bar is now “running really well” so he urged people to book their vaccination appointment: “we will absolutely be able to accommodate you”.
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